We wish to acquire a newbuild apartment in Downend with a residential mortgage from Clydesdale.We use our Downend conveyancing lawyer but Clydesdale says his firm is not on their approved list of member firms. We have to appoint a Clydesdale panel solicitor or retain our preferred solicitor and fork out for a Clydesdale panel lawyer to represent them. We feel as though this is unjust; is there anything we can do?

No, not really. The mortgage offered to you contains terms and conditions, one of which will be that conveyancers will be on the Clydesdale approved list. Until recently, most lenders had large numbers of law firms on their panels: a borrower could find one for themselves, as long as it was on the lender's panel. The lender would then simply instruct the borrower's lawyers to act for the lender, too. You can use your lender's panel lawyers or you could borrow from another lender which does not restrict your choice. A further alternative is for your lawyer to apply to be on the conveyancing panel for Clydesdale

We are due to move house in April. Should my conveyancing solicitor liaise with the removal company on the day of completion. As an aside, can you recommend a removal company in Downend. Conveyancing lawyer was chosen before I stumbled across your page.

On the day of completion you will need to pick up the house keys from the property agent but this can only take place once the previous owners solicitors confirm to the agent that they acknowledge receipt of the completion payment and the keys can be passed over. You will need to advise the removal company that they can start moving you in. As a matter of policy we do not recommend a specific removal company but can help you locate a conveyancing in Downend or a legal practice that specialises in conveyancing in Downend.

Is it correct that all Downend CQS (Conveyancing Quality Scheme) solicitors are on the Kent Reliance conveyancing panel?

It is true that some lenders now make use of the accreditation scheme as the kick off point for Panel membership such as HSBC and Santander. CQS membership however is no guarantee to lender panel acceptance. That being said,the Council of Mortgage Lenders have indicated that it is likely to become a pre-requisite for solicitors wishing to join their panels.

I have decided to exercise my right to buy my property in Downend off the council. I have a mortgage agreed with Leeds Building Society. Conveyancing is not something I have any knowledge of. Can I proceed without a solicitor easily? I think we can but we keep being told I should use one. Any advice?

It is not advisable to proceed with a house purchase without a solicitor. The council's solicitor are not acting for you. You need a solicitor for a number reasons. One of which is to verify what plans the Council have for repairs and refurbishment for the next five years. Many leaseholders have been stung for contributions of thousands of pounds. In any event, if you are getting a mortgage with Leeds Building Society, you will need to appoint a solicitor on the Leeds Building Society conveyancing panel.

I have todaybeen informed that Stirling Law have closed. They conducted my conveyancing in Downend for a purchase of a leasehold flat 18 months ago. How can I be sure that my home is registered correctly in the name of the former proprietor?

The easiest way to see if the property is registered to you, you can make a search of the land registry (£3.00). You can either do this yourself or ask a law firm to do this for you. If you are not registered you can seek help from one of a number of Downend conveyancing specialists.

I've recently found out that there is a flying freehold element on a house I have offered on last month in what was supposed to be a simple, no chain conveyancing. Downend is the location of the property. What do you suggest?

Flying freeholds in Downend are not the norm but are more likely to exist in relation to terraced houses. Even though you don't necessarily need a conveyancing solicitor in Downend you must be sure that your lawyer goes through the deeds thoroughly. Your bank may require your conveyancing solicitor to take out an indemnity policy. Some of the more diligent conveyancing solicitors in Downend may determine that this is not enough and that the deeds be re-written to give you the most up to date legal protection. If so, the next door neighbour also had to sign up to the revised deeds.It is possible that your lender will not accept the situation so the sooner you find out the better. You should also check with your insurance broker as to whether they will insure a flying freehold premises.

I’m about to sell my basement apartment in Downend. Conveyancing lawyers have not yet been instructed, but I have just had a half-yearly service charge demand – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?

It best that you pay the service charge as you normally would because all ground rent and maintenance invoices will be allotted as part of the financial calculations for completion monies, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the subsequent invoice date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.

I invested in buying a split level flat in Downend, conveyancing having been completed May 1999. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar properties in Downend with a long lease are worth £222,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 charged once a year. The lease ends on 21st October 2095

With only 70 years left to run we estimate the price of your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 as well as plus your own and the landlord's "reasonable" professional fees.

The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure without more detailed due diligence. Do not use the figures in tribunal or court proceedings. There may be additional issues that need to be considered and clearly you want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. You should not move forward placing reliance on this information without first getting professional advice.